The term “chip card” in the above sense should be understood to refer to card-like support elements of electronic components, especially microprocessors on which various retrievable information can be stored. Such chip cards are especially to be encountered in the area of computer technology and are enjoying an ever greater use in connection with the authentication of subjects. Beside this use as identity cards—for example, for operating of access control systems—chip cards are also being increasingly used in non-cash transfers of payment where they, for example, are replacing magnetic strip cards in credit cards or in the framework of POS systems.
Reading devices constructed as a contact unit for reading a chip card are known. These devices—for example, in the form of an adapter system—enable the connection of a chip card to a connector of a data processing system standardized according to the PCMCIA standard. The adapters for this purpose known from prior art have a PCMCIA plug connection socket which connects mechanically and electrically to a PCMCIA plug-in slot in the data processing system. The chip card readout takes place through contact elements arranged in the mounting channel for the chip card which contact said chip card in a manner involving [physical] contact or without [physical] contact—for example, optically or magnetically.
A contact unit for card-like support elements of electronic subassemblies is known from DE 295 05 678. Said contact unit is provided with a base plate of a size suitable for plane-parallel mounting of a card-like support element, at least one printed circuit arranged basically parallel to the base plate with contact elements for the electronic subassemblies of a support elements on its surface, and a connector panel arranged on an edge of the base plate. A plate-like covering element basically congruent with the base plate, together with the printed circuit, forms a slot-like insertion channel and is fastened to the base plate in the region of the connector panel or the corners lying opposite it. The printed circuit, due to its fastening in the housing, fills the entire installation space in the housing.